How did St. John the Baptist escape the murder of the babies directed by King Herod after the birth of Jesus?

Full Question

How did St. John the Baptist escape the murder of the babies directed by King Herod after the birth of Jesus?

Answer

Scripture does not say, but Herod apparently limited the murders to the region (Matt. 2:16) where he knew the Messiah was to be born (Matt. 2:1-6). So far as we know, St. John the Baptist and his parents did not live in Bethlehem or its immediate vicinity—otherwise Mary and Joseph could have stayed with them while in the area for the enrollment (Luke 2:4-7)—but in the hill country, in an unnamed city of Judah (Luke 1:39-40), which may have been distant enough from the attack directed by Herod to protect the infant John.

4 comments

When we visited the House of St. Elizabeth, we saw a large stone. our tourist guide told us that it was the remnant of a bigger rock that was used by St. Elizabeth to safeguard the infant St. John the baptist from the massacre of innocents that was order by King Herod.

I have read somewhere , I think it was Anne Rice’s book, “Out of Egypt”, where it documents that Elisabeth was friends with the Essenes .. They were fanatical and lived in the dessert . She may have went to the dessert and hid John out there until it was safe!! The book also said that when John’s parents died, he went to live and hang out with the Essenes until He made his way out as Prophet for Jesus , our Lord ..